


Colors of the Rainbow

by decorativefrog



Category: Boy Meets World
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Shawn, Blind Character, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Shawn Hunter Needs a Hug, future tags to come, gay panic lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:35:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decorativefrog/pseuds/decorativefrog
Summary: How would you describe color to someone who is blind?That is Shawn Hunter's task. And if he happens to get a boyfriend along the way, who is anybody to judge?Or: Shawn gets a blind boyfriend (it's college, everyone experiments)
Relationships: Shawn Hunter/Original Character(s), Topanga Lawrence-Matthews/Cory Matthews
Comments: 28
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello so i've had the canon for bisexual shawn for quite some time (bc lets be honest if the show was in 2020 i would've killed someone if they didn't give shawn a boyfriend there's no excuse). so _i_ gave shawn a boyfriend!   
> (ik it could be cory but i like cory and topanga together- cory, topanga, _and_ shawn tho like that's a nice trio. but i decided to branch out from typical themes)
> 
> this is also because pride month and we all need a little gay in our lives
> 
> i decided to give him a blind boyfriend though, and spent my time researching thoroughly about blind people and how to write about them. i didn't want to offend the blind community so i'm trying my best to be educated about it. 
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy the first chapter of many more to come

When Shawn signed up for an extra English class, he didn't realize that things were going to be placed in a whole new perspective for him. It was a simple writing class, one he was hoping would expand his abilities to beyond mediocre poetry- don't tell Shawn, but his poems are _far_ from mediocre. While it was not a secret, Shawn decidedly didn't tell anyone he was taking this class. The last thing he wanted was Cory in front of him, performing his latest poem called '*gasp* Tah-panga'.

To Shawn, this class was going to be a sanctuary where he can take specific time to write, get constructive criticism, and explore new ideas. All while maintaining his privacy and comfort zone.

Though, somehow, some way, Feeny was the teacher of this class too. Should he pretend to be shocked?

Feeny looked pleasantly surprised when he spotted Shawn in the back row on the first day of the class. They gave each other a nod that meant both "how ya doing" and "let's pretend we don't really know each other". That was a deal both males could live with.

"Okay, class." Feeny greets, then turns around to write some stuff on the chalkboard. "Welcome to the first day of creative writing." 

Feeny begins to drone on about expectations and other boring crap he's heard a billion times. What gets his attention is, "Now I know it's the first day, but I thought what better way to ring in the new semester than with a project." Shawn has to bite his tongue to stop himself from audibly protesting. He does, however, flop his head onto the desk as a sign of both boredom and disapproval. Of course, along with the rest of the groaning class.

Feeny scoffs and glares at the class, "Oh, stop your moaning. You will be able to work with a partner- or alone, if you choose- and use your writing as a form of imagery." The room erupts in groans again. Feeny ignores it, "Imagery is the easiest thing to write about, people. You don't have imagery, you don't have a story. For this project you may take anything you'd like and write it as anything you'd like. The choice is mostly yours, all I ask is for you paint a clear picture." The groans calm down. Feeny waves his hand dismissively, "You may get started and we'll be ready to present in class next week. Class dismissed." 

The classroom fills with noise as students look at their friends and partnerships begin to form. Shawn's decided he's going to work alone. He stares blankly at his desk, ignoring the students filtering out, and tries to spark some idea on what he can write about. Maybe he can revisit the Pink Flamingo trailer park? Shawn hastily scribbles the idea down.

"Mr. Bradley, Mr. Hunter, can you come here?" Feeny announces. 

_Now what?_ Shawn wonders followed by his second question of _Who the hell is Mr. Bradley?_ He scans the classroom and finds the only other one there is this handsome raven-haired tan guy in the first row. This supposed Bradley guy is already heading towards Feeny with a walking stick of some sort and Shawn watches him for a moment before remembering that he was also called over. He quickly grabs his stuff and walks over to where Feeny is with Bradley.

"Mr. Hunter, this is Elliot Bradley." Feeny says gesturing at Shawn. Shawn gives Elliot a little wave. "Mr. Bradley, this is Shawn Hunter." 

"Hello, Shawn." Elliot says sticking out his hand for Shawn to shake, a little too high for Shawn's comfort. Shawn's not exactly a tall guy- he lost that privilege when they entered high school- and standing next to Elliot, Shawn feels even shorter. He's not sure how tall this guy is, but if Shawn rounds up, his eyes are level with the other guy's bottom lip.

Shawn, not wanting to seem rude, awkwardly reaches his hand up to complete the handshake. "Hello." He mumbles. He looks at Feeny expectedly. 

"I was hoping you two would partner up for the assignment." Feeny says, though his tone made it clear that this was not really up for discussion.

Shawn, however, did not need Feeny matchmaking new friends for him, thank you very much. "Well, actually, Mr. Feeny." Shawn nervously rubs the back of his neck, "I was planning on working alone."

Feeny nods. "I understand that, Mr. Hunter, however, this project is on imagery and I think it would be a great opportunity for both of you if you were to collaborate." Shawn opens his mouth again, ready to protest. He feels bad about Elliot, who is just standing there silently, but Shawn isn't in the mood to become this dream-team that Feeny has in mind. "Mr. Bradley is blind." Feeny says bluntly and Shawn's mouth immediately closes with an audible 'pop'. He looks at Elliot with wide eyes. "With your way of words, Mr. Hunter, I thought it would be a good idea for you to help create a sense of imagery for Mr. Bradley." 

And with that last sentence, is there _really_ any way Shawn could still say no? 

Shawn sighs, throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling before nodding. "Yeah. Okay. Elliot you want to be partners?" Shawn asks, somewhat reluctantly. 

"Absolutely." Elliot says, smiling bright at Shawn. And with that beaming smile, Shawn finds it hard not to smile back. 

*

The two are seated on the couch of the student union, Shawn with a notebook and pen ready while Elliot positions himself to where he can best feel the other's presence. They've been sitting there for about 20 minutes in total silence, neither really knowing what to say. 

Shawn tried some icebreakers but most of the ones off the top of his consisted of "What's your favorite movie?" or "What video games have you played?" or even "Philadelphia always looks nice this time of year." Like, no Shawn, all those things involve seeing, which Elliot cannot do.

Instead, Shawn opted on trying to understand Elliot's perspective a bit more. He figured if he knew how the other saw the world it might make the project easier to start. "So..." Shawn begins, already hating how awkward he sounds. Elliot perks up at the sound of Shawn's voice. "Do you see total darkness?" 

Elliot laughs and despite how offended Shawn wants to be, the sound makes him feel more at ease. "Good question, but no. I just don't see anything at all."

At this, Shawn furrows his eyebrows slightly, rearranging himself in his seat to face Elliot more. "It's not pitch black?"

"Some people who have lost their sight in accidents or later in life might but because I've been blind since birth, I have no other sensation of sight to compare against. So it's just nothing." Elliot explains. After a minute of Shawn's silence, he lets out another little laugh feeling the confusion radiating off the other boy. He's used to these kind of reactions. "Think about it like this: what do you see with your elbow?" 

Shawn cocks his head and looks at his elbow with an airy chuckle, "What?" He moves his elbow back and forth like that will somehow magically give him the ability to see with it. "That doesn't make any sense, I can't see out of my elbow." 

"Exactly." Elliot says, matter of factly. 

"Huh?"

Elliot bites back another laugh at Shawn's evident confusion, not wanting Shawn to feel mocked but also finding it both amusing and adorable. "Here, try this: close one of your eyes and use the eye that's open to focus on something. What does the closed eye see?"

"Nothing." 

"That's what I see."

"Oh." Shawn moves his head around the room, still keeping one eye closed. "Ohhhhh." Shawn opens both his eyes and looks at Elliot. "I never thought about it like that."

Elliot shrugs. "People make assumptions all the time. But it's okay to have questions, that's how you learn." He gives Shawn a smile and Shawn returns it, starting to love the way the other smiles.

"I think I have an idea for the assignment." Shawn says looking down at his notebook where he hastily scribbled something unreadable to anybody besides himself. 

Elliot turns his head in the direction of where Shawn is. "What is it?"

Shawn bites his lip contemplating whether or not his idea is offensive. "Well, what if we did something involving colors? Like, you don't see anything but I bet there's some way for you to understand. Maybe we can use the other senses to help describe a color." At Elliot's lack of response, Shawn panics and begins to backpedal. "It was just an idea. I'm sorry. We don't have to or we can find something else. Hell, you can go ask Mr. Feeny to find someone else to partner with because obviously-"

Elliot silences him by reaching over clumsily placing his finger on Shawn's lip, effectively cutting him off. "That's a great idea." He removes his finger quickly, not wanting to overstep boundaries Shawn might have.

Shawn beams, "Really?"

Elliot nods. "The sense of touch is my main way of connecting to the world around me. People have already described colors to me, but I'm curious to see how you would."

Shawn finishes writing in his notebook before responding proudly, "I've been told I'm the definition of teenage angst so don't expect flowers."

Elliot smiles- he doesn't remember the last time he has this much- and opens his own notebook. Shawn leans over slightly, curious as to what the other boy is doing. He watches Elliot fingers move across the page along with tiny dots from his pen.

"Is that Braille?" Shawn asks, before he can stop himself.

Elliot nods, "Yep." He finishes off whatever he was writing, it looking like an incomprehensible mess to Shawn. "When I get home, my mom can use our typewriter to translate notes into Braille so I can read them. Sometimes, though, I have my own notes that I need to jot down so I do my best to write in Braille and later we can figure it out and make it more legible."

Shawn finds himself unable to tear his eyes away from Elliot's notebook. The black ink is swiped across the page in clumps and smudges and Shawn has absolutely no idea what any of it means. But the more he stares at it, the more elegant it appears. It's like another language, another world. 

Shawn keeps leaning forward, his entrancement increasing by the second, until he realized that his upper body is practically in Elliot's lap. 

Pulling away far quicker than necessary, Shawn blushes as his eyes dance around the room, wondering if anyone saw. No one is paying attention. Elliot doesn't seem too bothered by it but Shawn can't tell if it's because he didn't notice or if he's pretending not to. This just makes Shawn blush harder, selfishly thankful that Elliot can't see him at the moment. 

"That's really cool." Shawn says, his voice coming out more breathy than he wanted it to. He begins to tap his fingers along his thighs. 

Elliot turns to a fresh page of the notebook and smiles, "Thanks." Shawn can see Elliot's head tilt almost unnoticeably to where he's tapping. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Huh? Oh." Shawn snaps out of his daze. A new wave of enthusiasm washes over him and he feels excited to share the next step of his idea. "I was thinking that since we have six days for the assignment, we can do one color per day."

Elliot nods. "Smart. But how do you know what colors?"

"Uh, ROY-G-BIV, that's how." Shawn says in a 'duh' tone.

"Who the fuck is Roy G. Biv?" Elliot questions laughing at how ridiculous it sounds. 

Shawn rolls his eyes, though there's a smile on his face. "Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet." He says making hand motion to go along with his speech. "ROY-G-BIV."

"Ohhh. Clever." Elliot says, his tone is playfully mocking. "That's 7 letters, though."

Shawn waves a hand dismissively, "No one cares about indigo." He begins to hand Elliot his notebook but remembers why they're all there and places it back on his lap. "Let's do red today." Shawn then looks at his notebook that literally contains nothing other than _ROYGBIV_ written six times. "You wanna go first?"

A beat of silence passes between the two of them. "Bitch, how? I can't _see_. That's _your_ job."

Shawn throws his hands up, exasperatedly, "Okay, fine. Fine." He tilts his head up trying to collect his thoughts. "Red is...intense." He decides on and furrows his eyebrows like he wasn't sure how to explain why. 

"Intense?" Elliot questions, prompting Shawn to expand on his thoughts.

"Yeah. Intense." Shawn nods. "Red is like... too much all at once, like a system overload. It's too hot, too loud, and too bright. Red is like a headache that pounds harder every time you take a breath, to the point where you want to scream until the rest of the world is devoured of its color besides the one bleeding its way through. See, the other colors even Red out, allows it to quiet down from the ticking time-bomb it is. But left alone, Red can be dangerous and uncontrollable. However, Red is not a negative feeling, it's just a misunderstood feeling. A feeling that can only be taken in small doses because when the entire room becomes Red, things can feel dizzyingly overwhelming."

Shawn finally allows himself to breath, surprising himself with the way the words flew off his tongue effortlessly. He waits for Elliot to say something and when he looks over at the other man, he sees him writing his Braille notes again. Shawn wets his lips and realizes his mouth is uncomfortably dry from his little speech. He allows Elliot time to finish taking in everything as he reaches over and grabs his water bottle on the table in front of them, taking a sip.

"That was beautiful." Elliot whispers. He's not sure why- the room is loud with the amount of students occupying it- but with the mood between the two of them, it just felt right. 

Shawn's cheeks have a slight pinkish tint to them and he lets out a self-deprecating laugh. "It really wasn't, I was just saying things. Probably didn't even help at all."

Elliot smiles and reaches across where his hand lands on Shawn's bicep. Elliot inches his hands up until it's supportively grasping Shawn's shoulder. "No, it helped a lot. Your words painted a picture, thank you." And although Elliot couldn't see it, he could feel Shawn's smile. 

Shawn pats Elliot's hand that's still resting on his shoulder in a silent acknowledgement, his heart pounding faster than usual. Elliot retracts his hand and Shawn momentarily misses the warmth, "You weren't kidding when you said you're the definition of teenage angst, though." He says, his tone teasing. "Most people would describe red as passion or love. You see it more cynical."

Shawn shrugs, not wanting to really go into the fact that it's because he doesn't understand love the same way normal people do. That he's felt more sensations of bleeding than synthetic hearts. "If we're going to be friends you better get used to it." 

Elliot's breath hitches causing Shawn to look over concerned at the new emotion. "Friends?" Elliot says, his voice cracking.

Shawn's eyes go sad, understanding the feeling. "Yeah." He whispers, placing a hand on Elliot's shoulder to show a tactile reinforcement of their new friendship. "Friends."

The two share a smile before breaking their serious moment with an abundance of jokes and laughter. They ended up talking until Elliot got a phone call telling him that his mother was waiting outside to pick him up.

Shawn helps Elliot pack up his things before handing the backpack to the other boy. He quickly shrugs it on and picks up the stick that was left at his side before beginning his journey out to the parking lot. 

Shawn gets up and jogs ahead so he can open the door for the taller boy, who heard the click of the door and shoots him a thankful smile. "Same place, same time tomorrow?" Elliot asks, setting up a meeting to continue the next color of their project.

"Works for me." Shawn agrees. "Let's see how I can make orange edgy."

Elliot laughs and walks out the door but not before turning around and waving. "Bye, new friend." He says, beaming. 

And although technically he was waving to the couch, Shawn answers back. "See you tomorrow." Before the two part ways.

And for some reason, when Shawn went back to his other work, he couldn't seem to wipe the stupid smile off his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello happy last day of pride month (just because pride month is ending it does _not_ mean stop supporting the lgbt community, just an fyi keep spreading the rainbow) and guess who's back with a new chapter.
> 
> best thing about shawn being a disaster bi is that _im_ a disaster bi so we work
> 
> yall can see the chemistry between shelliot? ellawn? brewing in this one so enjoy ! :) <3

Shawn was enjoying his peaceful night when suddenly Cory stormed into the room and slammed the door behind him.

He turned to face Shawn, who was reading a book on his bed, and waved his arms frantically. "Word on the street is _you_ have a new best friend." 

Shawn blinks blankly at Cory and gently closes his book, trying to understand where exactly Cory has gotten this new information from. Meanwhile, Cory stands in the middle of the room crossing his arms and staring at Shawn like he murdered someone but didn't let Cory help him dispose of the body. "Huh?"

Cory doesn't even bother to explain he just goes on ranting again, pointing his finger accusingly at Shawn. "Now, Shawnie, I will _not_ be a side chick, a mistress, a hidden piece, a flank, a second ingredient, or whatever you want to call it."

Shawn nods hesitantly, "Right." he says slowly, racking his brain for when he declared someone other than Cory his best friend. "Cory, _what_ are you talking about?"

All the built up dramatics that Cory hyped himself up on seemed to deflate out of him like a balloon. Cory looks at Shawn with a pouty face and prayer hands, "Don't you love me?" He asks, the desperation in his tone being almost too much for Shawn to handle.

The other boy sighs and rolls his eyes. He kicks his legs over the edge of the bed and leans forward to where Cory is standing looking mildly pathetic and grabs his hands. "Yes, Cory. I love you." Shawn drops Cory's hands and rolls his eyes again. "You wanna tell me what this is about or should I wait until after you've finished your melodrama?"

Cory gasps, clenching his heart in shock. "This is not an act, dear Shawnie. This is me feeling utmost betrayal." Shawn raises his eyebrows, not saying anything. Cory stays in his exaggerated position a little longer, not breaking eye contact with Shawn. It doesn't take long before he gives up and lets out a breath, slumping to a normal position. "You made a new friend."

Shawn bites his lip to stop himself from smiling at the thought of his time with Elliot. "Yeah, I did." He says, trying his best to sound nonchalant. 

Cory studies Shawn's face for a moment before nodding. He walks over to sit down next to the other boy. "I'm proud of you, Shawn." Cory says, his tone nothing but genuine. 

Shawn smiles softly. "Thanks, Cor." 

Shawn has never been too good at making friends. Or at least at keeping them. Cory knows this. He didn't even need Cory's help to meet Elliot. And bonus: Elliot doesn't seem to be a part of any gang, cult, mob, or other bad influential groups Shawn's been accustomed to. He made an actual friend that isn't a bad influence all on his own. Even after one day of meeting the guy, Shawn can already tell he really enjoys the other boy's company. 

The two sit in silence for a little bit, their shoulders barely touching. "We're still best friends, though, right?"

Shawn turns his head and grins at Cory, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Of course." 

*

Shawn couldn't stop checking the time. 

It was the next day and he was on the couch at the agreed meeting time, waiting for Elliot to show up.

He should've been here fifteen minutes ago but it's fine. It _is_ fine. Though, somebody better tell his bouncing leg that.

Shawn glances at the time again and sighs. He doesn't even know why he's acting so childish. _He can't see the clock that's why he's late_ , Shawn reasoned with himself. _Oh shit, wait, is that offensive?_

Just as Shawn was about to mentally scold himself for being both nervous and questionably inappropriate, the door opened and in walked Elliot looking slightly out of breath. 

Elliot began to make his way over to the couch but his head moved back and forth like he was listening for something.

"Hey." Shawn says, standing up. It was almost like he wanted to assist Elliot any way he can. He knew Elliot is able take care of himself, but Shawn couldn't help the instinct. "Over here by the couch. Same spot as last time." Shawn clarifies.

Upon hearing Shawn's voice, Elliot smiles brightly and carefully walks over to where Shawn had directed. Shawn is just noticing now that the other boy has the cutest dimples.

"Hey." Elliot greets back once he settles down. "Sorry I'm late. I had an appointment and there was traffic on the way back." 

Although sixteen and a half minutes ago he was freaking out about Elliot being late, Shawn ends speaking in dismissive tone. "It's no problem. I didn't even notice the time, anyway." Good lie, Shawn. Playing it cool.

Elliot doesn't respond to that but he snorts, obviously not completely believing the other boy. 

Shawn reaches for his notebook and sifts through the pages until he lands on the one about the assignment. "So, for the project, today we decided to-"

"Shhhh." Elliot cuts Shawn off, causing Shawn to scoff. "Let's not work on the assignment right now."

Shawn raises his eyebrow, "Oh? Isn't that why we agreed to meet in the first place though?"

Elliot shrugs. "We're friends, right? Friends talk. So let's talk. Tell me about Shawn Hunter."

"Okay." Shawn, easily agreeing to any excuse that will allow him to procrastinate further. "Well, I could just give you the synapsis and save you all the boring trauma. I lived, I died, not much else to know." He shrugs.

Elliot laughs but the next words out of his mouth Shawn doesn't find very funny. "Do you deflect because you're afraid to show people who you are or because you life is actually that boring?" 

Shawn's a bit taken back when he hears this and doesn't say anything right away. He tries to formulate a response but hates the idea of how pathetic he'll sound if he admits that many people leave after figuring out the real Shawn is too much too handle. Instead he deflects again, only furthering the truth behind Elliot's observation. "If you psychoanalyze me, I swear to God, it is not below me to hit a blind person. You'll never see it coming."

Elliot's hands goes up defensively, "Okay, fair enough." Elliot's finger's dance across his lap. "How about I start, then? Ease down those walls a bit."

Shawn nods before remembering Elliot can't see that. "Okay. Tell me about Elliot Bradley." 

The other boy bites his lip and moves his head back and forth, like he was contemplating where to start. "Well, my name is Elliot Louis Bradley. I am twenty years old and a sophomore. I've lived in Philadelphia my whole life and I have an older and younger sister. I have been blind since birth because while my mother was pregnant with me she got into a car accident and I was born prematurely. Uh, what else? My favorite ice cream flavor is butter pecan and I enjoy long walks on the beach because the feeling of sand between my toes and the breeze in my hair is unbeatable."

Shawn smiles, mentally taking a note to bring butter pecan ice cream to one of their meetings and to take a trip to the beach some time. "Wow, that's a lot. Is your mom okay?" Shawn asks. He was surprised with how casually Elliot brought up the accident that led him to be blind but then again, Shawn loves casually mentioning his own trauma.

"Yeah, she's okay. She still has the scars and although me being blind has been rough on the family, the devastation if I were to die is much more overpowering." Elliot says. Shawn admires how courageous and open Elliot is about his disability. He took what life gave him, and he made something for himself. It isn't everyday a blind person can say they're making their way through a non-disability centered college.

"That's good." Shawn nods. He realizes that it's his turn for an introduction. "My name is Shawn Patrick Hunter. I am nineteen years old and a freshman. I was born in Ohio and lived in Oklahoma for a little bit before moving to Philly when I was around nine. Let's see, I have one- no two- older half-brothers and one older half-sister, though only one of them still talks to me. I grew up in a trailer park and has been abandoned by my mother officially twice and dad technically three times- but really, both of them have been coming and going for years. Though, my dad's dead now and no one really knows where my mom is so I guess that's that. My favorite ice cream flavor is just plain vanilla and I enjoy poetry."

Elliot clicks his tongue, processing what Shawn has said. "Man, fuck your parents."

Shawn laughs at Elliot's not-so-PG response and smiles, thankful he doesn't seem scared with the amount of fucked-up coursing through Shawn's veins. That's not even half of what Shawn's been through, anyway. "They tried their best."

Elliot makes a small noise of disagreement and Shawn turns to look at him with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what the hell _that_ meant. However, before Shawn could say anything Elliot begins speaking again. "Don't know why someone would want to stop talking to you, you're like the best person to be around."

Shawn's eyes widen as a blush begins to spread across his cheeks. Although Elliot's head is turned to face away from Shawn, he can still tell the other boy's cheeks are reddened too. "Thanks, but give it time." Shawn mumbles, his insecurities shining through. "You'll leave, they all do."

Elliot's head turns to face Shawn- mostly for effect because he can't tell that Shawn is looking down at his hands- and he smiles tentatively. "I've known you for barely two days, but I can already tell you're someone special. I would never willingly leave you." 

For some reason, Shawn feels his eyes burn and he pushes back the feeling to cry. Since when does a stupid Feeny assignment bring him to near tears? "Thanks." Shawn says, genuinely meaning it. He can still feel the blush there and he wants to move on before his defenses start to completely break. "That's enough sappiness for today. Let's get back to the assignment." Shawn says, clearing his throat and taking out his notebook.

"Right." Elliot nods, his cheeks still tinted red. "So, orange?"

*

The two continue talking long after Shawn describes orange as the calm warmth of a fire on a long and stressful winter day. Orange is an underrated color, Shawn had explained. People associate it with only its neon parts and forget about the underrated beauty it beholds. Not for the first time, Elliot wishes he could see a sunset.

After they realized hours has passed, they begin to pack up when in walks Cory, Topanga, and Angela.

Cory points at Shawn and Elliot and turns to his girlfriend. "I _told_ you he was cheating on me."

Topanga rolls her eyes and yanks down Cory's hand. She's obviously heard this complaint too many times and is losing her patience. "Cory, stop it. Shawn's allowed to have other friends."

Angela laughs, shaking her head and shoving passed the couple to get to where Shawn and Elliot are sitting. Shawn is staring at them while Elliot looks mildly confused. "Hey, Shawn. Who's this?"

Upon hearing the question, Elliot turns his head towards the sound of the voice and estimates where to stick out his hand to shake. "Hi, I'm Elliot Bradley." He introduces, smiling. Shawn shamefully admits he is still captivated by the newly discovered dimples.

Angela stares confusingly at where Elliot's hand is- he obviously assumed she was still standing in front of them and not sitting down next to Shawn. Nevertheless, she reaches across Shawn's lap and awkwardly twists her arm to greet the other, realizing now how his eyes are unfocused.

"I'm Topanga." The other girl greets. She had taken a seat next to Angela and Cory sat on her other side. He was sitting furthest from Elliot. 

"I'm Cory, Shawn's only best fr- ow." Cory grunts as Topanga rams her elbow into his side. 

Elliot startles slightly and his head darts, not expecting the two new voices. "Oh, there's more of you. Hi, I'm Elliot." He repeats his name, awkwardly. Shawn can tell that Elliot is becoming nervous around the new company and the confused faces of his friends aren't helping his own mood. Shawn wants to give Elliot a chance to introduce himself, though, and allow the man to speak for himself.

"In case you haven't heard, this is Elliot." Shawn says, mocking Elliot in an attempt to ease the other's nerves. It works; Elliot scrunches his nose and moves cautiously to nudge Shawn with his shoulder.

"Oh." Elliot says, remembering a very important detail about himself. "Forgot to mention: I'm blind."

A couple of "Ohhh's" are quietly heard as the three newcomers finally understood the situation. 

"How long have you been blind for?" Angela can't help but ask. She then shakes her head, "Actually, that might've been rude to ask, I'm sorry-"

"No, not at all." Elliot interrupts. "I've been blind since birth."

"That's really fascinating." Topanga says, looking at Elliot in awe. "Cory, don't you think that's fascinating?"

Cory, who is glaring at Elliot, forces out a "The fascinatingest" before continuing to scowl. Shawn rolls his eyes at Cory while Topanga ignores his tone.

"Don't mind him." Topanga apologizes. "Are you a student here?" You can tell by the look in her eye that this is one of many questions.

Elliot doesn't seem phased by the questions nor the genuine curiosity. Especially if their Shawn's friends, he wants to make a good impression. "Yes I am. I'm a sophomore."

"That's really cool." Topanga praises. Cory lets out a grumble noise sounding something along the lines of "I'm also really cool." and Topanga shoots him a look that says 'you better shut up before I make you.'

Angela looks between Shawn and Elliot and can't help but notice how close they are sitting. She can't tell if either of the boys register that their knees are touching, but she doesn't draw attention to it. Instead she asks, "How did you two meet?"

At this, Shawn rolls his eyes letting out a groan, "How else? Good ol' Feeny." 

"Feeny that traitor." Cory announces, his eyes narrow. "He's trying to get you to cheat on me!" 

"Cory, I'm not cheating on you." Shawn says, both amused and exasperated.

Cory was about to refute but Elliot had made a connection and decided to speak up. "Oh, are you two dating?" He asks, and Shawn thinks he can almost detect a hint of sadness in the his voice. Angela and Topanga couldn't help burst out laughing.

Shawn muses that to someone who doesn't know them, him and Cory do sound like an old married couple. "Oh, no." Shawn denies immediately and Angela notices that Elliot perks up a little. "Cory and Topanga have been dating since they were like two. Cory and I are just best friends and he's being _overdramatic_ so you're allowed to ignore him." Shawn explains and at the 'overdramatic' part, he purposely raises his voice and directs it to Cory.

Cory in return huffs. "Maybe I overreacted." 

" _Maybe?_ " Topanga asks in that tone parents use when what you say isn't what they want to hear.

"I'm sensitive, okay?" Cory responds, much more calm and respectful than he was five minutes ago.

Elliot laughs at the exchange, amused by the banter. "Your friends seem really great, Shawn."

"Eh, give them a few weeks." Shawn dismisses, which earns him an offended gasp from Cory, a light slap on the knee from Topanga, and a little shove from Angela. "I know you can't see it, but they're attacking me."

"Unfortunate." Elliot responds in a fake sympathetic tone. 

Angela laughs at the look of shock on Shawn's face. "Oh, I like him. He's a keeper." She purposely chose her words to sound like a grandma meeting their grandchild's boyfriend for the first time in hopes of seeing the blush settle on the older man's cheeks. 

"Yeah, I like him too." Shawn replies smiling. Shawn doesn't really think about the word choice of what he just said, because to Shawn, it was meant as friends. However, to Elliot, it made his heart flutter with something that he wanted to tamper down but the sound of Shawn's laughter forbid him from doing so.

"Thank you both." Elliot says, the blush settling further as he tries to stop himself from smiling bigger than appropriate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all enjoyed it :)
> 
> it appears our elliot had started developing a crush a shawn (as far as angela can tell bc she's a queen). but let's be honest, who _hasn't_ had a crush on shawn (if you say "not me" you're lying)
> 
> anyway, i'll try to update soon but once again i have made the mistake of writing fanfiction instead of sleeping even though i have to be up for work in a few hours lmao
> 
> also you guys should follow my twitter @ rainbowkazooo not bc i want to expose myself but bc im desperate for followers and friends. that sounded pathetic but i swear its not. im thriving leave me alone.
> 
> that's it lmao. leave a comment or kudos or something and have a great night, day, morning, afternoon, brunch, midnight snack, etc.
> 
> thanks :) <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been too long my lovies and i apologize. i got kinda overbooked with work and college searching that i didn't have time to write. on other news, i finished rewatching boy meets world and literally as soon as the theme song played on that last episode i started crying ;-;
> 
> ANYWAY, i got a new chapter !!!
> 
> idk if this is a good one im trying not to move it too fast because it's weird for you to start sharing secrets with someone you've known for 3 days but i also just want to get to the cute coupley stuff (that's not a spoiler we all know it's coming)
> 
> please warn me if you think its going too fast imma try to slow it down but i get bored and want ANGST
> 
> hope you enjoy :)

Shawn would never admit it out loud, but these meetings with Elliot are starting to become his favorite part of the day.

He would've thought seeing- or in Elliot's case, hearing- each other every single day would've had them grown tired of the other's presence, but it hasn't. If anything, it has brought both boys closer together in a surprisingly short time. 

Shawn's pretty sure the butterflies in his stomach are because he's enjoyed Elliot's company so much that the thought of losing him like he's lost other "friends" in the past has started to become something he can't bounce back from quickly. Usually it takes years for Shawn to feel safe enough to form that kind of attachment. The only other time he decided he would rather keep a person like that in his life so soon after meeting them was when he saved Cory from the llama pit back in the 5th grade. 

Seeing Elliot wait patiently on the couch brings a smile to Shawn's face.

"You know, your skin is nicely tan." Shawn absentmindedly comments, walking over and sitting down next to Elliot. This grabs Elliot's attention as he raises an eyebrow at Shawn. "Better than mine, I'm too pale." 

Elliot hums. "I've always liked the way the sun felt so growing up I used to go outside and lie down on the grass for hours at a time. Plus I'm Italian, so we tan nicely, I guess, I don't know, I've never _actually_ seen myself." 

That final sentence, said so casually, causes Shawn to take a moment to think. He's sure Elliot's parents must've described their son's appearance, but to never experience judging yourself in a mirror until you start to cry or finding that one outfit that makes you love the way you look is something Shawn never thought he'd empathize with. 

"Maybe when we're done describing today's color, I can describe you?" Shawn asks tentatively. He bites his bottom lip wondering if that was a weird thing to ask. Boys don't describe other boy's features, right?

Elliot smiles, easing Shawn's worries. "As long as you describe yourself to me. I didn't even know you were pale." 

Shawn smiles back, "Okay, deal." He agrees. "And yeah, I'm practically translucent. Even if you could see, you wouldn't be able to see me. I just blend in with the white wall." 

"Ha ha, very funny." Elliot muses, rolling his eyes.

"I used to be more tan." Shawn shares. "Not that much tanner, nothing like you, but not nearly as pale. I used to spend a lot of time outside back when I lived in the trailer park. Wandering the streets because I didn't want to go home or sitting outside the trailer in some dingy lounge chair. Then I moved in with my teacher and then later my half-brother and found myself feeling more comfortable staying inside." He doesn't know why he decided to tell that story, but he's become so relaxed around Elliot in such a short period of time, it felt natural being said.

Elliot is quiet for a moment and Shawn has learned that meant he was truly absorbing what he said. "Being pale isn't such a bad thing, then." He remarked, deciding that if Shawn's paleness was due to a sense of security at home, then he would prefer Shawn as pale as can be. "Besides, skin color doesn't have anything to do with attractiveness nor how much I like you."

A light blush settles upon Shawn's cheeks and he says in a teasing tone, "You like me?" 

Elliot's eyes go wide as he quickly stutters out, "As a friend. That's what I meant. I like you as a friend." He nervously laughs and the tip of his ears turn a bright red causing Shawn to hide his amused grin. 

"Relax." Shawn laughs. "I figured that was what you meant. I was only joking around." 

"I know." Elliot says, scratching the back of his head, the redness of his ears still apparent. He clears his throat, "So, yellow?"

"Right, yellow." Shawn nods, opening his notebook. 

Elliot angles his body to face Shawn more. "From what I've heard, yellow is practically the definition of happiness." 

"Yeah." Shawn agrees, though there's a hint of something underlying in his tone. "Yellow is bright but not in the same way Red is. Red is associated with the blaring of alarms while Yellow speaks a more optimistic rhythm."

Elliot nods, not entirely sure where Shawn is going but knows it's not going to be the same as all the other times the color has been described to him. "Everyone always has such positive things to say about yellow." 

Shawn shrugs, "Honestly, I've never really understood the positivity behind Yellow." Elliot raises an eyebrow, silently encouraging Shawn to continue. "It's like...If you close your eyes and hear your favorite person in the world laugh- like a real genuine laugh- Yellow is the first color to come to mind. It's bright and warm and _happy_."

"What's the problem with yellow then?"

"There's no problem with yellow." Shawn sighs, "It's more like there's a problem with me."

"How so?" Elliot asks, curious to understand the barricaded maze that is the other boy's mind. 

"I want more Yellow in my life?" Although the sentence was stated, it came out more as a question since Shawn himself was still trying to put the pieces together. "People see Red as the color of love but I see it more as Yellow. Love should coexist with happiness and- and I don't feel like I have enough of both. That's why Yellow reflects more of what I don't have than the radiant positivity it's supposed to be." 

Silence falls between them, Shawn's words creating a new, denser atmosphere. The chatter of other students in the Union fade into the background like white noise. It takes every last ounce of effort within Shawn for him to bite his tongue and not brush the admittance off with a joke and a nonchalant shrug. 

"I think you deserve all the Yellow in the world." Elliot eventually says, his tone so serious and genuine that Shawn‘s heart swells. Shawn averts his eyes, feeling too much emotion to respond.

Not for the first time, Shawn curses at himself for blushing so much around Elliot and being thankful that the other couldn’t see his reddened face. He wondered what it looked like to everyone else seeing two boys blushing constantly while talking. “Thanks, but it’s not a big deal. I'm doing fine.” 

Elliot’s lips form a straight line at the deflection and Shawn can tell he wants to say something but can take the hint that Shawn wants to avoid this confrontation. Elliot instead says, "Now it's time for you to use your magic words and describe my crowd pleasing features."

Shawn rolls his eyes with a playful scoff, glad that the conversation is veering away from Shawn's inevitable insecurities. "And he's modest too."

"Hey, just because I can't see the merchandise doesn't mean I don't know it's there." Elliot says with a smile, nudging Shawn's shoulder. "So, what do you see when you look at me?"

The way Elliot asks is full of such curiosity and desperation, Shawn knows he has to plan out his words before he speaks them. He wants to make sure Elliot thinks of himself as beautiful as Shawn sees him. Shawn doesn't understand the way his heart flutters when he looks at Elliot, he knows that boys don't think of other boys as beautiful. However, him and Cory have always been more tactile than some say is socially appropriate, and Shawn believes that his viewpoints on Elliot is just another friendship as strong as Cory's beginning to bloom. Well, almost as strong as his and Cory's. Nothing could outrank those two.

Both boys question whether or not it's strange that the other has started becoming such an important part of their lives in a surprisingly short times. While both keep their walls built high, somehow it took minutes within meeting for their defenses to falter. 

"Okay, well." Shawn starts, before his eyes scan around the Student Union wondering if an eavesdropper will judge the intimacy this conversation is heading. "Uh." Shawn stutters, his mind beginning to run too fast for him to keep up. He knows this hesitancy isn't what Elliot wants to hear, but the imaginative judgement keeps Shawn's default need for acceptance a priority.

"You okay?" Elliot asks, his tone nothing but kind. 

"Yeah, sorry." Shawn says, his breathing more shallow than he'd like. "I don't know what‘s happening." Shawn tries to laugh it off, but harsh words come barreling through his head without reprieve and his breath catches in his throat.

"You know, there's the idea that when one of the five senses goes away, the remaining ones become stronger to pick up the slack." Elliot explains in a soft voice. His hand finds it way to Shawn's knee and for some reason, Shawn feels himself become grounded. "Sometimes I mistakenly bring up something uncomfortable because I can't see distinct body language that clues me to leave something alone." Elliot's hand squeezes Shawn's knee slightly before removing his hand completely. "However, over the years I've gotten good at deciphering mood through tone." 

Shawn nods, his eyes closed as he focuses on his breath and Elliot's voice. 

Although Elliot couldn't actually see Shawn's receptive nodding, he figures Shawn was following what he was saying. "If two guys sitting kind of close together describing each other's features in a public place makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to continue." There's absolutely no judgement in his voice and it relaxes Shawn to the point where he can stabilize his own breathing.

"I don't know what happened." Shawn repeats, a bit shamefully. "But I'm okay, really. It was just a meaningless little thing, I have no problem describing you." 

Elliot raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? Cause your almost panic attack says otherwise."

Shawn huffs, "I was not having a panic attack." He denies, crossing his arms much like a child. "Like I said: I don't know what happened, and I have no problem describing you."

"In public?" Elliot asks, with a tilt of the head. 

"Yes." Shawn immediately says, his stubbornness making itself known. "You have remarkably tan skin, almost like an olive shade- you got the real nice Italian skin, I’m jealous- and a broad, slightly muscular body but not in the way where it's too much like some guys have it, but in the way where it matches you perfectly. Nothing is unproportional. You have a nicely structured jawline and a barely noticeable 5 o'clock shadow that articulates your features well. Your hair is kinda of long and messy but it’s also this rich black color that reflects the lighting no matter where you are so your hair shines almost as bright as your smile. And your eyes, I think those are your best features because their mistiness doesn't completely overpower the specs of true golden brown underneath. Your eyes dart around sometimes, like they're searching for an oasis in a void, and I think it adds to your unique qualities." Shawn says, all in one breath. By the time he finishes, his face is glowing red and he bites so hard on the inside of his cheek, he starts tasting blood.

He also notices that no one in the room notices them. In high school, everyone was quick to intrude private conversations and gossip them around before the interaction was even complete. Right now, everyone is minding their own business. If it doesn't involve them, it doesn't really matter to them. Shawn decides he likes this new environment.

Typically after Shawn says something in a big jumbled paragraph, Elliot becomes quiet as he reflects on what was said. It's a way for Elliot to truly understand the situation without the aid of distinctive and physical characteristics. 

It seems like forever has passed and Shawn is beginning to think that either Elliot has been silent for too long or that time is moving a lot slower than his heart rate. He guesses it's the latter one that's more accurate. 

"I never wanted to put you in an uncomfortable position where you felt forced to say that." Elliot eventually responds. He sounds guilty, yet the redness on his cheeks tells Shawn that he is more than flattered with Shawn's words.

"You didn't." Shawn immediately argues. While he started talking as a way to prove Elliot wrong, Shawn found that he continued because he _wanted_ to.

Elliot looks his straight in the eye for the first time- since usually Elliot always ended up miscalculating where Shawn actually was- and says "Thank you" with so much sincerity that every doubt Shawn had about the strangeness of analyzing another man's features in public became irrelevant. 

"I meant every word of it too." Shawn says, smiling, and for the first time he’s not paying attention to how close the two of them were to each other. 

Elliot, however, couldn’t help but think about what would happen if he were to lean forward a few more inches.

At that thought, Elliot flinches away from Shawn with an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Who knew this assignment was going to be so therapeutic for the both of us?"

Shawn, who barely noticed how intimately close the two were getting, laughs and shakes his head. "Feeny probably planned this. Him and his old man teacher powers somehow knew this would become more than a project." 

"More than a project?" Elliot asks, his heart skipping a beat.

"Well, yeah." Shawn says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "A new friendship."

Despite knowing that they were just friends, Elliot deflates a little at the section he was placed in under 'People Shawn Hunter Knows'. "Of course." Elliot says, masking away any sign of a sunken heart with a forced smile.

He's glad to be Shawn's friend, but his heart yearns for something more. He just isn't sure that's what Shawn wants, so he needs to hide it away. Elliot doesn't meet a lot of good people in his life, he doesn't want to mess up something special because of a measly crush. 

"Okay, your turn." Elliot says in an attempt to distract his wandering mind.

"My what?" Shawn asks, slightly distracted. 

"You turn to describe yourself." Elliot clarifies and Shawn's eyes widen.

"I forgot about that." Shawn chuckles nervously, eyes scanning the exit. For a brief moment he wonders if it's _that_ bad to run away from a blind guy mid-conversation. 

"Oh, come on." Elliot encourages. "You know what I look like, I know what I look like, you know what you look like, now it's _my_ turn to know what _you_ look like." When Shawn doesn't respond right away Elliot sighs, "Please?"

Shawn jiggles his leg a bit. "Pale skin, you already knew that. Face, nose, blue eyes, brown floppy hair." He shrugs, his description being less of an actual description and more of a checklist. 

"An Unhelpful Guide to what Shawn Hunter Looks Like." Elliot teases. He's disappointed but doesn't want to show it.

They talk a little longer before Shawn checks the time and remembers that he has a class that started five minutes ago. He contemplates skipping- no way was he going to run to make this class at a fashionably late time- but Elliot insisted that Shawn go.

After the two bid farewell and Shawn rushes out the door- still not running, but doing a moderately fast jog- Elliot sinks back into the couch cushions and runs a hand over his face. 

He likes hanging out with Shawn as _just friends_ , he reminds himself. Just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Elliot begins scribbling in his notebook and doesn't register someone next to him until the weight of the couch dips to his right and a hand touches his shoulder. He jumps, sending a smeared line down the page. 

"Ah." Cory yelps, not expecting Elliot to startle like that as much as Elliot was not expecting Cory to be right there.

“I told you not to sneak up on him like that." Topanga scolds. Elliot's head turns to find the source of the second voice, wondering if Angela's voice would also be making itself known soon.

Elliot waves a hand dismissively, though his hands are still shaking from the shock, and tells them that it isn't that big of a deal. 

"We just saw you sitting and wanted to say hi." Topanga explains, apologetically. 

Elliot raises his eyebrows questionably, "I thought Shawn left." 

"He did." Topanga confirms, taking a seat next to Cory. "We came to say hi to you, not Shawn." 

There's something that's not clicking with Elliot. He doesn't quite get the reason the two- possibly three- wanted to talk to him if Shawn isn't there to prompt it. "Really?"

"Well, yeah." Cory says with a small smile. "You're Shawn's friend, which means you're our friend." 

The phrase 'Shawn's friend' doesn't bother Elliot as much as it did previously. In fact, Elliot has to focus on trying to contain his smile. 

He's spent a majority of his life alone, his company being a Queen's Greatest Hits record and his own thoughts. Growing up, his only friends had been those he met at his disability-centered school. While he felt welcomed in the presence of those with shared life experiences, he purposely went to a college that didn't overcompensate the adaption to his blindness in hopes of making a friend that wasn't just his friend because he was disabled. 

After a year and a half of loneliness in college, never did he think it would actually happen. Until he met Shawn. Until Shawn introduced him to a group of people who don't avoid him for being different. Who wants to talk to him even without Shawn there. They want to talk to him.

Elliot couldn't be more thrilled at this revelation. 

"Thank you, guys, that means more than you think." Elliot says with a beaming smile. "And don't worry, Cory, he's not cheating on you with me."

"Not yet he isn't." Cory accuses, but his tone is light that Elliot can register it's simply play teasing. 

Topanga waves her hand at Cory. "You're going to have to get use to those two acting like boyfriends. It's been my whole life."

From the stories Shawn has told, Elliot can already recognize that these two people talking to him are some of the most important people in Shawn's life. "Looking forward to it." Elliot says, and he means it.

Elliot suddenly remembers something important to him. "Can I ask you guys a question?" He asks, despite already asking a question to ask if he could ask a question.

"Anything." Topanga answers, and Elliot can tell she's giving him her full attention, unlike some people he's met that take him being blind as an excuse to multitask. 

"Can you describe what Shawn looks like to me?"

Topanga furrows her eyebrows, “How come you don't ask Shawn yourself?" She asks.

"I did." Elliot responds, a defeated sigh escaping his lips. "He didn't give me much information to go off on."

Cory clicks his tongue. "Classic Shawn. Avoiding how he thinks about himself, even if it's just appearances."

"Doesn't Shawn love bragging about his looks, though?" Topanga asks, not to be rude but out of genuine curiosity.

"Nah." Cory dismisses. "He only does that to lighten the mood, not to be arrogant. Besides, he hasn't ran his fingers through his hair since he dated Angela."

"Shawn has smooth hair?" Elliot asks, trying to follow the conversation. "Shawn”s dating someone?" He whispers under his breath, too quiet for couple to hear.

"Shawn has the best hair." Cory brags, his eyes widening. "Everyone went crazy for it back in high school. They still do." Cory taps a finger to his chin before continuing, "It's like this milk chocolate brown that's parted down the middle, it used to be straight but it's actually kind of wavy now. It's like his own version of Christian Slater...not that you know what Christian Slater looks like." Cory awkwardly chuckles, still trying to get used to the whole 'talking to a blind person' thing. It's new to him, and he's trying.

Elliot nods, not exactly sure what milk chocolate nor Christian Slater looks like, but getting the idea. Maybe he'll ask Shawn to describe the color to him. And the man. It's not like he'd know he'd be indirectly describing himself. "What else?"

"If we're going from the top of the head down, his eyes would be next." Topanga joins in but is interrupted. 

"Not if we're talking about the other head." Eric laughs, plopping himself down in between Cory and Topanga. 

Elliot is a bit taken aback, obviously not expecting the new sudden person nor the joke. Shawn had only introduced him to three other people. However, it appears this new male voice must know Cory and Topanga well.

"Eric." Cory groans, distressed that his brother ruined the moment. 

Topanga smacks Eric upside the head for his crude humor. "Eric, this is Elliot. Elliot meet Eric, the moron." 

Eric nods a 'what's up' at him. "I know Elliot. We had history together before I switched to Feeny's class." 

"Oh, yeah, Eric Matthews." Elliot says, remembering the couple classes they sat through together. In Elliot's defense, he's never been too good at remembering a face. Ha, blind jokes. Elliot snorts at his own humor. "Feeny teaches histroy too?"

"Feeny teaches everything."

"He follows us."

"Everywhere we go, he is there."

The three say at once, Elliot finding it both amusing and concerning. He should definitely ask Shawn about this Feeny and his supposed stalker antics. "Interesting." 

"Wait a minute, Eric, if you knew Elliot how come you never told us there was a blind person on campus?" Cory asks. He doesn't mean to be insensitive and immediately cringes at his word choice, not knowing if it's rude to say in front of Elliot. "I'm sorry, that came out-"

"No worries man." Elliot quickly interrupts. "You don't need to apologize for every time you mention blindness, I'm not a snowflake. I won't get offended easily. And if you do say something offensive, I'll call you out on it. Just like anybody about anything should do." 

"Noted." Cory nods, smiling and patting Elliot's shoulder so the other man knows they've come to an agreement.

"I'm craving pizza." Eric states, placing a hand on his stomach. "And to answer your question, Cory, I never mentioned it because you never asked." 

"Well how was I supposed to know to ask-" Cory begins to counter but Eric is already up and out the door shouting: "Pizza!" 

Cory, Topanga, and Elliot are facing the direction Eric just walked out of, all with slightly disturbed looks on their faces. "Uh...anyway back to describing Shawn." Elliot says, somewhat wanting to dive into who dropped Eric on his head when he was a baby, but knowing that he had class soon and wanted to know more about Shawn's features before time ran out.

"Right." Topanga says, shaking her head back into the mindset they were in before they were so rudely interrupted by Eric's genitle joke. "Shawn's eyes. They are this stormy light blue that conceals a lot of emotion. Shawn's good at putting on a mask, but his eyes give away his hurt and pain. The eyes are the windows to your soul." 

"William Shakespeare."

"William Shakespeare." Topanga smiles in confirmation, proud that Elliot got the reference. "His eyes match him well; a bright facade distracting those from the darkness within." 

Cory huffs, "Way to put my description to shame." 

Elliot feels a smile tug at his lips, trying to picture this dark and slightly wavy hair framing these gorgeous soulful eyes. His mind creating an abstract familiarity with the intel he's gathered about Shawn.

"He has a button nose too." Cory says without hesitation. Elliot wonders for a moment if Topanga is just a beard and Cory and Shawn are actually in a secret relationship. "Very boopable." He states matter of factly. "But not as boopable as yours, honey." He hears Cory tease followed by a "boop" sound effect and what he assumed was Cory booping Topanga's nose. Topanga's giggle has Elliot thinking that perhaps they really do love each other and Cory and Shawn just have the gayest yet straightest best friend relationship there is. 

"Shawn also criticizes himself for having too big of a mouth. A 'muppet-mouth' as he likes to call it." Topanga continues. "But, that's not even remotely true. And like his other features, it all fits his face well."

Elliot nods, taking in all the information about Shawn's features. He conceals a smile, about to practically beg for them to continue describing.

"He's also skinny as fuck." Cory says bluntly. 

Topanga gasps at his language. "Cory!" She scolds and Elliot bursts out laughing.

"He is!" Cory defends himself, but cannot keep a straight face as Elliot's giggles becomes contagious. Soon enough, all three of them are laughing to the point where other students cautiously glance over at the trio.

Their laughter soon dies down but the smiles remain planted on their faces. Elliot beams, feeling remarkable knowing he has a new profound beauty to go along with the elegant voice his heart does summersaults for.

Elliot knows Shawn looks beautiful, whether he could truly see or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again. did you enjoy?
> 
> if yes, im glad. if no, im sad.
> 
> eric wasn't even supposed to be in this chapter but i totally wanted to add that joke and having him say it just felt right lmao.
> 
> also i think i made elliot a little too desperate in this chapter so im gonna bring that crush level back down to reasonable.
> 
> also idk if shawn's lil mini panic whatever was a bit too sudden but the idea im trying to portray is that shawn cares what other people think, whether he likes it or not (it stems from the need of affection as well as being an outsider in both the trailer park and in the middle-class area, he yearns to be accepted) but yeah i'll probably develop that more later.
> 
> anyway, no promises when the next update will be. i've picked up extra hours at work so my exhaustion levels are through the roof. but money so :/  
> fr tho extra hours means no more sleeping at 4am and waking up at 1pm. stop judging me, that's how i function. no surprise here, it's 1am now and i can barely keep my eyes open but i wanted to get this update posted before promptly passing out.
> 
> anyway, arrest the cops who killed breonna taylor (sign the petiton at: https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor?recruiter=348364896&utm_source=shar ) and if any directioners are out there july 23rd is in two days and we is panicking.
> 
> bye now enjoy your day/night :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello. its me. im not dead. my bad for it being like FOREVER since i posted i kinda forgot and then got busy with school. but now im procrastinating and its 1am so i was able to finish the chapter :D
> 
> lol i hope it isn't super short its hard to judge length when i type on my laptop
> 
> anyway enjoy! :)

If the two boys were to be honest, the description of the colors of the rainbow became a mere afterthought. 

Usually it went like this: after Feeny's class they would get together- typically on the couch at the student union- and they would talk and laugh and talk some more and laugh some more until one of them realizes that hours have passed- occasionally missing a whole other class- and that they had done zero work on the project.

While the first three colors were meticulously thought out, they found that the remaining colors were more half-assed. 

Green: going out into the middle of a forest and letting out a scream to relieve the build up stress. Because nature never judges and neither does green. 

Blue: the feeling after it rains where the sun is gently shining with a floating coolness in the air and the emanating petrichor. Blue was the calm after the storm.

Purple: the tether to the right side of the brain where the limit is a mystery and the unknown is a possibility. No one hates purple because it ignites a sense of serenity.

They know they both can't afford to do poorly on the project but Shawn can't help that when he's talking to Elliot, time slips away. 

It reminds him of Cory and their friendship. The way the two can talk forever about nothing and how even though they've been attached at the hip for years, it never gets boring. Maybe that's partially because of the antics the two always end up involved in, but either way, Cory was always able to place a smile on Shawn's face.

But, Cory has never made Shawn's heart flutter like this. 

Shawn is so confused by this new feeling that he almost asks Elliot if he felt the same way- the two ate plenty of the same food, maybe it's a stomach bug. Key word: almost. He decides that it's nothing tremendous and that it'll go away if he just ignores it.

"And the fisherman goes, 'well you let salmon.'"

So far it's been about two days and it has not gone away.

Shawn rolls his eyes at Elliot's stupid 'a fisherman walks into a bar' joke, though there's an amused smile plastered on his face. "That was awful." 

"Psh." Elliot said, waving his hand dismissively. "I got it from some improve street performer at Disney. I get to play the disability card to cut the line, ya know." He says with a subtle brag. 

"Damn, you went to Disney legally. Lucky." 

"Yes I have- wait. _Legally_?" Elliot says, looking at Shawn bewilderedly- though the fact that Elliot is staring at the random couple making out rather than Shawn makes the look on his face much more amusing.

"Mhm." Shawn hums, nonchalantly. "Cory was trying to win back Topanga and she went to Disney for a trip so we went to Disney. Slept in the log on Splash Mountain too."

"You just- and you slept in the- on the- what the fuck?" 

"I know right." Shawn took a sip of water. "You'd think a billion dollar company would have better security. I've broken into way harder places than _that_."

Elliot massages his temples. " _Please_ stop informing me of your criminal activity, I cannot become an accessory. Don't forget I can't see anything, you know how easily I could accidentally confess to the police because I would think it was _you_ walking through the door." 

"But if you're blind then you can swear on the bible that you didn't see anything!" Shawn exclaims, ideas forming in his head. Elliot nudges Shawn's shoulder with his own- the two are sitting close enough where Elliot didn't miss. 

Shawn sighs. "Fine fine. Besides, if I tell you anything else, I'd have to kill you." He says with both a straight face and a serious tone. 

Elliot huffs a laugh, shaking his head. "You're so dramatic." 

"This may come as a shock to you, but I get that a lot." Shawn smiles, feeling Elliot pat his knee once as an indicator that it was only a tease. Shawn pats once back, letting the other boy know that no feelings were hurt.

It was a system the two of them fell into. Never was it discussed, they just started doing it and found that it worked for them. Since Elliot couldn't see body language, he wanted to make sure that he never pushed past the line when it came to their playful bickering. He was always good at deciphering tone but he doesn't want to rely on that just in case. One pat meant everything was good, two pats meant that things needed to be turned down a notch, and three pats meant that the person isn't comfortable. 

Shawn's only had to triple pat a couple of times. Despite feeling like he's known Elliot for years- even though it's been less than a week- it's still hard for Shawn to stop feeling so damaged about certain topics. 

For example, Turner was okay to talk about until it strayed into the later years with the whole fiasco with the cult and motorcycle accident. Shawn doesn't want to talk about that. He doesn't even want to think about it.

And Elliot understands, especially with having his own trauma he knows how hard it is to relive and retell past experiences.

They both had their past but so far it looked like they were going to share futures.

In a non-romantic way.

They think.

*

"Mr. Hunter, may I speak with you?" Feeny called once the class was dismissed. They had just presented their rainbow findings along with the some of the class' own projects and Shawn was feeling a little uneasy about being singled out. That usually meant something bad. 

Elliot shot Shawn a sympathetic look vaguely in his direction, "I'll be right outside." He said and Shawn nodded even though he couldn't see it, watching him leave alongside the rest of the class. 

Shawn waited until the room was empty, save for him and Feeny, before approaching the man. "Mr. Feeny? You wanted to see me?" Obviously he wanted to see you, stupid, Shawn though, he literally just said that.

"Yes, Mr. Hunter." Feeny replied. "I did." 

The two stand in awkward silence for a moment before Shawn prompts him, "So..."

"You and Mr. Bradley have gotten close this past week because of the project, no?" Feeny asks.

"Uh...yeah?" Shawn fidgets where he's standing.

"That's good." Feeny is being really cryptic, Shawn noticed. Like he's hinting at something in the Feeny way. "Mr. Hunter, I always knew you were a good kid underneath that leather jacket. Elliot is also a good kid. I would hate to see either of you get hurt."

"Why would any of us get hurt? We're just friends, Mr. Feeny. It's not like I'm replacing Cory."

"You and Mr. Matthews always had a unique relationship. But it's different for you and Mr. Bradley." Feeny said, shuffling through his papers.

Shawn looked at him puzzled. "Different? How? Is it because he's blind because that really doesn't bother me. I'm not going to ditch him or anything."

Feeny smiles knowingly, "I know you won't ditch each other. You two have something I've only seen a handful of times."

"What do we have?" Shawn questions, not liking the idea of Feeny knowing something he doesn't and not spilling the beans at all. 

"All in good time, Mr. Hunter." Feeny says, handing Shawn a paper with a red marking on it. "All in good time."

*

"Cory, look!" Shawn waved a paper in front of his friend's face.

Cory flinched back and grabbed the paper out of Shawn's hands to get a look. It was the color theory project him and Elliot had been working on. "An A+!? This causes for celebration." 

Shawn grins at Cory, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Cory mirrors the grin. "Star Wars Marathon!" 

Shawn points at Cory, "You know me so well." He then turns and grabs his jacket, "Lets go to Jack's apartment, they have a much better TV."

"Way ahead of you, buddy." Cory says, grabbing his own stuff and following Shawn out of their dorm. 

When they get into the hall, the boys immediately bump into Angela and Topanga, who were also on their way out.

"Where are you two ladies going?" Shawn asks.

"Oh, Angela got an A+ on her history paper so we were going to go over to Rachel's and have a Rom-Com marathon." Topanga explains proudly.

Cory gaps. "Whoa whoa whoa. Shawn got an A+ on his Feeny paper and _we_ were gonna go over and have a Star Wars Marathon." 

Angela looks at Shawn impressed, "Nicely done, Shawn." Shawn beams in thanks.

Cory looks at the girls, "We all know that Shawn getting an A is much more of a rare occasion than Angela getting one. Therefore, we get the tv." 

"Exactly." Shawn states, pointedly. "Wait, _hey_!"

"Oh, you know it's true." Cory turns to Shawn, bickering.

Topanga puts her hands on her hips, "Oh yeah? You boys want the tv?"

Cory and Shawn nod, "Yeah."

Topanga and Angela share a look before shouting "Dibs!" and running away. 

Shawn throws his hands up in exasperation before turning to Cory. "New plan?" 

"New plan."

*

"Who knew A Bug's Life was going to be about a bug's life?" Cory says, as the two boys leave the movie theater.

"I know, the title is completely misleading." Shawn agrees.

After getting ditched by the girls, Cory and Shawn decided that they should support their local movie theater and see a newly released film. Cory had heard some great things about A Bug's Life from Morgan and convinced Shawn that they should see it. So there two college boys had sat for an hour and 35 minutes in a theater full of 11 year old girls, watching a Disney movie about an ant. Over their dead body will either of them admit they both thoroughly enjoyed that children's movie. 

The boys began walking back to their dorm, the night sky exceptionally clear and the fall breeze refreshing. Shawn bites his lip before speaking. "Cory?" 

Cory hums in acknowledgement.

"Do you think... do you think Elliot and I have a weird relationship?" Cory immediately stops walking and Shawn cringes at the awkwardness his question held. 

"What do you mean?" Cory asks.

"Well." Shawn isn't _exactly_ sure what he means but Feeny's voice echos in his head. "Do you think that what Elliot and I have is different than what me and you have?"

Cory tilts his head, pondering the question. "I don't know." Shawn lets out a frustrated huff of air; he was hoping Cory would be able to help solve whatever was going on in his head. "What do you think?"

"I _thought_ Elliot and I were just friends. But then Feeny said something, _like Feeny always does_ , and now I don't know _what_ to think." Shawn ranted, turning away from Cory and continuing to walk.

"Ah it's just Feeny being Feeny." Cory dismisses, jogging to catch up with Shawn's fast pace. "Who knows what he says half the time." When Cory saw that Shawn's face was still pinched up with thought, he grabbed the other boy's shoulder to stop him. "Shawnie, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure whatever life-altering lesson Feeny has in his mind will reveal itself eventually."

Shawn sighed and nodded, "Yeah you're probably right." 

Cory grinned, throwing an arm over Shawn's shoulder. "I always am." 

The two started walking once again, this time at a normal stride. Shawn laughed, "Except for when you said that this movie was mature."

"Hey!" Cory gasped with exaggerated offence, "I personally found those grasshoppers wildly inappropriate for the audience." 

"Whatever you say, Cor." Shawn rolled his eyes. "But never again am I letting you choose the movie. That was so childish I was practically bored the whole time."

*

"And then the grasshopper, Hopper- you remember Hopper- says 'you think this is a game? Well guess what, you just lost.'"

Elliot tsks, shoving a chip into his mouth. "Fuck Hopper." He says between munches. "The ants were trying their best." 

"I know!" Shawn says, waving his hands frantically as he recalls every single event from A Bug's Life. 

The two were lounging in Cory and Shawn's dorm, knowing that the other boy was going to be out doing some volunteer work with his very convincing girlfriend. Shawn dangling upside down on the bed while Elliot was sitting criss-crossed on the floor.

"Anyway." Shawn says, flipping back to a regular position after his Pixar movie rant, allowing the blood to flow back into the rest of his body, "How was your night?"

"Oh, good." Elliot says, smiling. "My mom made the best crumb cake, so we ate that while listening to a Queen album."

Shawn remembers Elliot mentioning how he loved music with lots of instrumentals. He loved being able to feel the music and envision himself getting lost in a sea of colors. 'A sea of colors I can associate and distinguish better thanks to your descriptions.' Elliot had said. That may or may not have made Shawn blush.

"That sounds really nice." Shawn plopped himself on the ground next to Elliot, leaning against the bed. He nudges Elliot a little to let the other boy know he's there.

Elliot holds out his bag to offer some chips and Shawn twists his arm at a weird angle to grab some from where he's sitting. "Do you have a CD player or something? You _have_ to listen to the album A Night at the Opera. By far their best one."

Shawn nods enthusiastically, "That one has Love Of My Life, right. I love that song." 

"Yeah!" Elliot was beaming. Shawn wished the other boy could see himself when he talked about something he was passionate about. It was absolutely adorable.

Shawn's mind did a backflip as it reassessed his own thoughts. Adorable and boys do not go together. Adorable and boys _can't_ go together. He shouldn't be thinking about boys as being adorable. 

But Elliot was adorable. Especially when his eyes flickered around the room subconsciously, not actually seeing anything there. Or when he laughed so hard he'd snort. Or when he'd miscalculate where everything is and end up pointing or gesturing or offering someone chips in the completely wrong direction.

His heart stopped beating for a second.

Shawn has never thought Cory was adorable.

Sure, Cory has done some adorable things, but he never thought about him like he's thinking about Elliot right now.

Oh my god. Feeny was right.

He fucking hates it when Feeny's right.

But what does this mean? What does it mean when you think a boy is adorable?

Shawn didn't know. Shawn didn't _want_ to know.

His ears were buzzing and suddenly the room made him feel like he was suffocating and the world was spinning and there were these annoying black spots coating his vision and- 

Shawn almost didn't register a hand smacking the side of his head. "Ow."

"Shit, sorry." Elliot apologizes, panic evident in his voice. "I forgot where you were and suddenly you weren't talking for a really long time and I was afraid maybe you left? Sorry, I know you wouldn't do that. It just got really really quiet." He says in one jumbled mess of words.

Shawn blinks, a hand rubbing the side of his head before resting it on Elliot's knee. "Don't worry, it's fine. I'm still here. Just got lost in my own head." He forces a laugh that he can only pray is convincing enough.

Either it is or Elliot understands not to push the subject because he moves on. "Oh okay. Well as I was saying before you _so rudely_ spaced out, there was-"

Shawn guiltily tunes Elliot out, staring at where his hand has not moved from the other boy's knee. 

He doesn't understand why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shawn? is that you becoming aware of some feeling i see? that's wild.
> 
> again, i apologize for taking forever to update and i apologize again if this chapter was short im gonna try to write more next time. i actually have an idea for where i want it to go. 
> 
> also if you guys think the story is moving too fast LMK i really want to get to cute and cuddly domestic shawn and elliot lol so im speeding the boring icebreaker trauma exchange along.
> 
> idk when the next update is going to be with school and me falling out of thinking about bmw 24/7 (my apologies) it's gonna be a bit difficult. you see, i started and finished rewatching avatar the last air bender and so im absolutely in love with zuko. hm, maybe i have a thing for boys with trauma...
> 
> ANYWAY, do you think if Shawn was living in today's age he would be an eboy/skater boy. i think yes. skater boi shawn. oh god i love it already. quick someone who can draw make me an edit lmao
> 
> welp. see you next update. or not. *cardi b laugh*

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you all enjoyed
> 
> now ik it's the 90s and homosexuality and disabilities wasn't as normalized then as it is now but i really don't want to write about assholes being homophobic and cruel so because its college and everyone experiments and ppl are relatively respectful, everyone is just going to have to accept that and move on.
> 
> maybe they'll be one homophobe that gets punched but that's in later chapters.
> 
> anyway, i will be continuing this story if you guys would like be too so just leave a comment or some kudos and i'll try to update asap. (though i do start work in literally 6 hours but here i am writing fanfic instead of sleeping like wtf is wrong with me) 
> 
> happy pride month, spread the rainbow :) <3


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